Homeowners with houses on large country lots and who enjoy looking out their windows on cows grazing and row crops being tended, spoke at a public hearing December 1 opposing a “disturbing” view of white gravestones where rows of corn and beans should be.Thursday, December 8, 2016

Chisago Lake Township supervisors met in special session Tuesday this week and agreed to fight Lindstrom; should the city initiate any hostile annexation process of an area of the township tied to a cost-sharing dispute of a walking trail-road improvement project.Thursday, December 8, 2016

“The Bunker” inside the Forest Lake American Legion Post, is at face value, just another vinyl-floored event room. But, the lights go down, the warm bodies in the seating area grow hushed and the stage takes on its own special energy-- and this year’s very un-stereotypical Masquers Theatre holiday production becomes an intimate theatre experience. For a couple of hours you are inside the magic and so close to the actors it’s uncanny. Thursday, December 8, 2016

Chisago Lakes Community Education offers a holiday coookie baking session in a school kitchen, and you don’t have to clean up, plus you get a bunch of different cookies at the end of the day? There were 11 people registered and some are pictured baking up a ton of goodies last weekend. The group made 10 cookie recipes, which are divided out for each person to take some home. Watch for the Community Ed brochure or go on-line to sign up for the 2017 holiday season.Thursday, December 8, 2016

I hope you had a chance to come out to one of the many tree lighting festivals that took place over the weekend. I made it to two of them with my family. What an awesome small town feel these festivals had. Kids everywhere, anticipating Santa and when they came they did not disappoint. In Lindstrom, Santa arrived on the back of the Lindstrom Fire Department’s air boat. It was quite an entrance. In Chisago City, Santa arrived on a sleigh that was pulled by a pickup truck that was decked out to look like Rudolph. Bill Mack of Mack Landscaping was kind enough to decorate his truck for the event.Thursday, December 8, 2016

Lakes Area Police Department will be under new leadership as of January 2017, but the transition is not expected to make any waves. As Chief Kevin Stenson steps aside, “the other chief” Bill Schlumbohm has already been approved (and actually sworn-in) by the Police Commission. Thursday, December 1, 2016

Folsom House in Taylors Falls was decked-out for the holidays, and all hands were on-deck to greet visitors. Come January there may be a special mystery dinner event at Folsom House, watch for details.

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Taylors Falls Lighting Festival. It was a beautiful night for a parade, and judging by the number of people that lined the streets, everyone was thinking the same. The city was filled with people, every piece of sidewalk was taken by parade watchers. Taylors Falls does such a great job of keeping everyone entertained, wether they are watching a parade, playing bingo, or taking in a Christmas concert. If you have never been to TF for the festival, put it on your calendar for next year.Thursday, December 1, 2016

It’s about sweet potatoes this week. I was shopping in the produce department at Brink’s last week and was putting six or seven sweet potatoes in my cart. A women standing next to me was doing the same thing. I asked her if she had ever baked a sweet potato as you would a white baking potato. She had and proceeded to tell me another way to prepare them. This is her directions: Wash and peel the potatoes, cut them in about 1/4 –inch strips (as you would a French fry). Put them in cold water for a few minutes; drain and put them on paper towel to absorb the water from them. Place them on a lightly oiled baking pan, using olive oil. Put potato strips on pan so they are not touching. Brush lightly with olive oil. Bake at 375 degrees 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. From the horses’ mouth….they are really good!Thursday, December 1, 2016

The permit application for an Interim Use at 13645 River Road in Sunrise Township; proposing 55 sled dogs on a rural lot-- ended up being revised last week by the county commissioners, and adopted on a 3-2 vote. Thursday, November 24, 2016

North Branch Water and Light Commission members weren’t sure what they’d be confronting at their regular November 15 meeting. The referendum on abolishing the utility had taken place November 8 and the utility group could have been facing a lot of work to dissolve or they’d be staying the course on active projects and service. Thursday, November 24, 2016

For several years now Sheila Sandell, a third grade teacher at Taylors Falls Elementary School, has engaged her kids in the town’s Lighting Festival and made it a memorable 360-degree experience. This year it will be extra fun to see the faces of her third graders when they catch sight of her leading the Lighting Festival Parade, in her Royal Lady red velvet robe.Thursday, November 24, 2016

In coming days, Jim Stein, owner of Stein Insurance on mainstreet Lindstrom, will be producing his own solar electric power atop his building and be on the path to electric self-reliance.Thursday, November 24, 2016

The lack of consensus between the township and the city of Lindstrom on how to proceed with roadwork and improvements in the area of 288th Street is beginning to narrow. At last week’s city council meeting Township Supervisor Sherry Stirling listened as council was updated on a series of on-going negotiations and she stated at the end of the summary, “We think it’s do-able.”Thursday, November 24, 2016

Shafer City Council met November 15 for a regular meeting. All members were present. With no public hearings the council then opened the floor to Brenda Palmquist. Palmquist was there representing America’s Best Communities. Palmquist sits on the Arts, Culture and Tourism committee. She said the committee was trying to find a common brand among towns and cities along Highway 8. She passed out some plans of flags that would be installed on light poles in each municipality. Palmquist said there would be four in Shafer and Center City and six in the larger cities such as Lindstrom and Chisago City. The committee is hoping to have the flags up by early February and the size of the flags will be 24” wide by 48” tall. After a brief discussion as to who owns the light poles in Shafer, Mayor Dan Vogel assured Palmquist they would have poles for the flags and were excited to get them.Thursday, November 24, 2016

I know the bulk of you will get this on Wednesday, so I will say it again. If you are going to be alone on Thanksgiving, please listen to me. You do NOT have to spend Thanksgiving alone. The great folks that put on the FREE community Thanksgiving meal would love to spend some time with you. The dinner will begin serving at 12:30 and runs until 2 p.m. I have been part of this dinner for years, and I can personally guarantee that the food you will be eating is top notch and absolutely wonderful tasting. There are no speeches, it is just a great relaxed, warm atmosphere with great people. I hope to see you there. They do ask that you please reserve a spot so they make enough food. Please do so by calling 651-257-6300.Thursday, November 24, 2016

Thanksgiving Day is very near….like tomorrow, if you are in the area where the Press is delivered. I’m not doing much talking today because I presume you know it will be about turkey “planned over” recipes. However, here’s what you can do if you have made more stuffing than will fill the turkey. A couple suggestions: In a greased, covered casserole dish during the last 45 minutes while the turkey roasts, put the stuffing in the oven, or put it in a foil packet next to the bird in the roaster pan, or in a casserole dish in the microwave.Thursday, November 24, 2016

Things got a little snarled in front of County Market, at Flink Avenue, the result of a three vehicle crash Tuesday this week, about 3:15 p.m. Traffic coming south on Flink towards the shopping mall intersection area, was detoured well north of the scene, to the west and back onto #95 by the church. According to the state patrol, a Mazda wagon driven by Carole Jean O’Neill, 79, of Cambridge went through the intersection’s red light while westbound on #95 and her car struck two cars.

O’Neill and Jo Ann Peterson, 69, of North Branch-- who was driving a Chevrolet Impala-- were transported to Wyoming Hospital. The third vehicle involved according to the state patrol was a Silverado, driven by Alexander Dean Skoog, 19, of North Branch. He and passenger Benjamin Allen Skoog, were not seriously hurt.Friday, November 18, 2016

The federal Responsible Drug Disposal Act was passed in 2010 with ground game implementation rules adopted in 2014. It was the foundation for a Minnesota law, effective May 2016 adding an option for disposing of unwanted meds, and giving local pharmacy outlets authority to voluntarily collect and dispose of waste medications.Thursday, November 17, 2016

Area Veteran Jim Hudspeth was the subject of kids’ attention, at Taylors Falls during the school’s annual Veterans’ Day event. He is being greeted with a handshake from Jace Schrankler. More school related Veterans’ Day event photos inside.

Chisago County Auditor-Treasurer Dennis Freed said his staff spent the final two weeks leading up to this election night working on basically nothing else but early ballots and related tasks, so that this maiden voyage of no-excuse absentee voting would run smoothly.Thursday, November 17, 2016